Post Traumatic
by Michael2
Summary: Marine MP's kill a sergeant major during a drug raid
1. Chapter 1

DAY 1

0330 ZULU

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

It is evening, with a quiltwork of stars visible in the sky. Most of the people at the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, near Beafort, South Carolina, are asleep in their bunks. This includes the hundreds of recruits who had been training for two weeks, learning how to become Marines, hoping to earn the globe-and-anchor.

Among this awake are a squad of Marine MP's near the base housing area for singles. All of them are equipped with Beretta M92 semiautomatic pistols loaded with nine millemeter rounds, and one of them carries a Heckler and Koch MP5.

"No lights in there, Gunny," says one of the MP's, looking at a bungalow.

Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez nods. Corporal Vaukel, who had served under him for seven months, had just stated the obvious. Then again, the military police battalion commander expects detailed reports.

"We're going in," Vasquez says into his radio.

The MP's run to the front door of the bungalow. Two of them smash a steel battering ram into the door.

They then go inside, with their pistols drawn.

Once again, all is quiet around the base.

Until it is interrupted by gunfire.

The gunfire comes not from the rifle rangles where the Marine recruits practice shooting Colt M16A2 rifles, but inside the bungalow.

"Suspect's down!" yells Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez. "Get a medic here now!" 


	2. Chapter 2

DAY 1 

1050 ZULU

ROBERTS RESIDENCE

WEST ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

Bud Roberts awake, feeling himself on a soft, firm surface. Nearby is a source of warmth. Even before focusing his eyes, he knows that he is exactly where he is supposed to be - in his bedroom at his house in West Arlington, Virginia. It is not the first time he woke up aboard a Navy ship, back when he was in Navy ROTC, when it took him a minute to figure out where he was.

"Good morning," he says to the form next to him.

His wife, Harriet, rolls over. "Good morning," she says. Her blond hair is a tangled mess, much different than it was when she was in uniform.

Bud swings his right foot onto the carpet of his bedroom. Reaching down, he grabs a prosthetic leg and attaches it to the stump of his left knee. He goes about his normal morning routine whenever he is stationed at home- using the bathroom, shaving his face, combing his dark hair, and then going downstairs to eat his breakfast with Harriet; their eldest son AJ also joins them this particular morning, eating a bowl of Cheerios. Bud always eats breakfast with his wife whenever he is at home, considering that he can be sent to a far away place at a moment's notice, given the nature of his job.

Finishing his breakfast, he walks back up to his bedroom, opening the closet. Inside he removes the white Navy summer uniform . After putting on the trousers and the shirt and making sure the ribbons are straight, he places on the shoulder boards, which have two one-inch gold stripes and one half-inch gold stripes indicating his rank as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy. He takes another look at the full-length mirror, making sure his uniform is proper. He takes a look at the twins in the crib, a boy and a girl, then saying a quick goodbye to his second son, James.

"The nanny will be coming in at 10:00," says Harriet. "I have to get fitted for the wedding this afternoon."

"It's this afternoon?" asks Bud, knowing what his wife meant by "the wedding". "I thought it was in June."

"The sixteenth."

Bud mentally counts how many days until the sixteenth of June. "See you later," he says, kissing her and accelerating his own heart rate.

Mornings are always good when he wakes up next to her, no matter what else happens.

oooooooooooo

1253 ZULU

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts enters the JAG Headquarters in Falls Church. The building serves as the headquarters for the United States Navy's Judge Advocate General, who is responsible for providing legal services for the Navy and the Marine Corps. He enters the main office, greeting the Navy and Marine Corps lawyers assigned to headquarters. He then sits inside his own private office - it is one of the privileges that goes with being a lieutenant commander. Of course, his office is not as big as a captain's office; two Navy lawyers he worked closely with had been promoted to captain recently.

He checks his voice mail and e-mail messages and reads through some reports as part of his usual routine when he is posted at JAG Headquarters.

At 0930, he attends the morning briefing in the conference room. The room's floor is covered in carpet, not like the white tiles that cover the floors of the main office and Bud's office. The staff lawyers not being deployed are all standing at attention. Three people stand in the back of the room. One of them is Navy Captain Sturgis Turner, the new chief of staff for JAG Headquarters. He had received his promotion and billet not too long ago. Bud remembers that Turner was once OIC in charge of JAG Headquarters. Another of the three is Navy Petty Officer First Class Jennifer Coates, who is the administrative aide to the Judge Advocate General. Coates had once served as Bud's paralegal, back when he was assigned to a tour of duty on board the carrier _U.S.S. Seahawk_. And delivering the morning briefing is the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Marine Corps Major General Gordon M. Cresswell.

General Cresswell then gives out the duty assignments for the staff lawyers, most of which were recommended by Captain Turner.

"Roberts, Vukovic," he says, "Just last night, MP's from the Recruit Depot on Parris Island went into a house looking for drugs. They shot and killed Sergeant Major Terry Stevens in his bedroom. Sergeant Major Stevenson was the sergeant major for the Recruit Training Regiment."

"Were any drugs found, sir?" asks Bud.

"None were found, Commander," replies the general. "In fact, according to preliminary reports, they got the wrong house. You and Lieutenant Vukovic are assigned to investigate this shooting."

After the briefing is over, Bud walks to his office and dials the number of Harriet's Nokia cellular telephone. A few rings later, he hears his wife's recorded message.

"Harriet, this is Bud," he says. "Listen, I've been deployed to Parris Island south of here, I think. I won't be coming home for a while. I'll keep you posted. Tell the kids about this."

oooooooooooooo

1945 ZULU

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

After their flight lands at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, also known as Fightertown East, Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts and Lieutenant Gregory Vukovic step inside am olive-drab Ford Crown Victoria and the driver, a Marine corporal assigned to the Recruit Depot's Headquarters and Service Battalion, drives the two Navy lawyers to the Recruit Depot nearby.

After checking in with headquarters and settling into their temporary quarters, Bud and Vukovic head over to the military police station.

The front room is typical of a military police station, with a desk and wooden benches. A sergeant stands at the front desk, noticing the two Navy lawyers.

"Sirs," says the Marine military police sergeant. "Colonel Hartwell is expecting you."

"Hello there," says a female voice. The two lawyers look and see an auburn-haired woman dressed in a Marine Class "C" uniform with an MP armband on the left sleeve. "Lieutenant Colonel Pamela Hartwell. I'm in charge of the MP's on Parris Island. I graduated boot camp here in '85, been enlisted for three years before going to OCS."

"Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts," says Bud. "This is Lieutenant Gregory Vukovic. We're from JAG Headquarters."

"Welcome to Parris Island," says the colonel. "Where we make United States Marines."

Hartwell leads the two lawyers into her own office. It is about the same size as Bud's office in Falls Church; it has a carpeted floor, a Pentium computer on the desk, and a Marine Corps recruiting poster pinned to the wall.

"Can you explain the events that led to the shooting death of Sergeant Major Stevens?" asks Bud.

"We received a tip that someone on base was dealing drugs," says Colonel Hartwell. "He was identified as Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Moody. I ordered a raid of his house in the evening, after he was observed to leave the base."

"Why is that?" asks Vukovic.

"We think he did not think that we suspected him," says Hartwell. "Anyway, once he left the base, I sent the MP's in. They reported that the suspect was down, and medics arrived to take him to the hospital, where he later died."

"So how is it that Sergeant Major Stevens was the one who got killed, ma'am?" asks Vukovic.

"We got the wrong house, Lieutenant. We have a bunch of bungalows out near the golf course, where senior enlisted singles live. The drill instructors live there weekdays when they train the recruits; they have to be on call when they do recruit training, like they're doing now."

"Why did they shoot?" asks Bud.

"Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez- he led the raid - thought that there was a gun. He yelled, there were shots fired."

"What about Staff Sergeant Moody?" asks Bud. "Did you arrest him?"

"No," replies the colonel. "We've got no evidence yet."

"Is Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez here?" asks Vukovic.

"He's in the office now."

The colonel and the two lawyers walk to the main office.

"Vasquez," says Colonel Hartwell, "these people want to talk to you."

"Yes, ma'am," replies a man with dark hair cropped-short. He wears Class C's. He reminds Bud of another gunnery sergeant who once worked at JAG Headquarters, and is now assigned to the Joint Forces Legal Service Center in San Diego, California. "Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez," he says, introducing himself to the two Navy officers. "How may I help you?"

"We want to ask about the shooting death of Sergeant Major Terry Stevens," says Bud.

"I was expecting that to be the topic, sir," says Vasquez. "It was supposed to be a simple search for drugs. I didn't know the details of the case - I know that the colonel has contacts with local law enforcement, among other things. She told us to conduct a search, and we did. When we went to the bedroom, I saw movement. I thought I saw what appeared to be a gun. I yelled, and we...we opened fire. I called for a paramedic. It wasn't until 0030 that I heard he died."

"You know you got the wrong place, right?" asks Vukovic.

"Not until this morning, sir," replies the gunnery sergeant. "The colonel briefed us on what had happened. It was a mistake, sir. An awful mistake."

"We'll need to speak with everyone involved," says Bud.

"Sir, I will assure you full cooperation from my men, just as Colonel Hartwell does." He glances at his commanding officer, who nods in reply. "Wait, is that a purple heart, Commander?"

Bud looks down at his ribbons. "Yes," he says. "I lost my leg stepping on a mine in Afghanistan."

"So you were in combat, sir," says Vasquez.

"Well, I was trying to save a boy who appeared to be trapped in a minefield," replies the commander.

"I was in combat. Fallujah. Hiding behind walls and drums, bullets flying and mortars exploding. Seeing someone right next to you die. Ever see something like that, sir?"

"Vasquez!" snaps Colonel Hartwell. "Please do not waste these men's time. If you have anything else to say relevant to the case, say it now."

"Sorry, ma'am," replies the gunnery sergeant. "I don't have anything else to say, sirs. I can give you a copy of my report and the reports of my men. If there's anything else you need, you know where to find me. And if I find anything else, I'll contact you."

"We'll appreciate that, Gunny," says Bud.

ooooooooooo

2030 ZULU

Bud enters an office, the floor covered with a carpet, and a Marine Corps recruiting poster hanging on the wall.

"Ah, Colonel Wood?" asks Bud, looking at the man sitting behind the desk, dressed in MARPAT camoflauge.

"Commander," says Colonel Wallace Wood, the commanding officer of Parris Island's recruit training regiment. "How may I help you?"

"Sir, I wish to ask about Sergeant Major Stevens."

"Oh, you mean Terry," says the colonel. "He was a fine drill instructor. He entered the Marine Corps here, at Parris Island. You know, before he came here again he was in the hospital recovering from wounds sustained in combat in Iraq back in 2004. Got a nice chunk of his leg blown off."

"I know how that feels, sir."

"He was offered medical retirement, but he persevered in his therapy. He wanted to become a drill instructor again - he did a stint in the '90's. He told me he wanted to teach recruits how to survive when they get sent to Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere else a commander-in-chief might send them. He was awarded a Navy Cross and a Purple Heart for his actions in Iraq." The colonel stands up. "In a perfect world, we wouldn't need drill instructors, or a Marine Corps. But reality is what it is, and we're needed here now."

"And how would you rate his performance since his assignment here, sir?"

"His service here was of the same quality as he had serving with the 1st Marine Division in Iraq. He is dedicated, and always around to assist recruits or the drill instructors under his charge. I liked the way he ran things; I really didn't have to tell him what to do. He would tell me what he had planned for the week, and I simply tell him to go ahead."

"Was there any indication of illegal drug use by Sergeant Major Stevens?"

"Commander!" scolds the colonel.

"I'm conducting an official JAG inquiry, sir," says Bud. "I must explore all possibilities."

"Of course, Commander," says Wood. "No, I have not observed, nor heard of any, drug use by Sergeant Major Terry Stevens."

ooooooo

2038 ZULU

"The sergeant major was one of the best," says Gunnery Sergeant Haley, standing outside the offices of the 1st training battalion.

"What do you know about him, Gunny?" asks Lieutenant Vukovic.

"I know he was wounded in Iraq and was awarded the Navy Cross for what he did there," says the gunnery sergeant. "He's a legend. When the recruits were first bussed in, he would be the first one to greet them, yelling at them all to get in line. This is my first time as drill instructor; he encouraged me in this effort. It's strange, sir. After all he went through, after all those battles he fought over there, he gets killed here by our own MP's! Damnit!"

"Was Sergeant Major Stevens involved with drugs?"

"Of course not!" yells the gunnery sergeant. "Sir."

"Okay, then," says Vukovic. "Have you ever met Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Moody?"

"I've met him before," says Haley. "I know he's not part of the training regiment; he's in the headquarters and service battalion. I sometimes meet with him."

"How well do you know him?"

"Not all that well, sir. If you'll excuse me, sir, I have to get back to my recruits."

"Did Staff Sergeant Moody ever offer you anything, Gunny?"

"No, sir. Not even a drink. I don't hang out with him anyway, our paths don't cross too often."

Vukovic immediately turns away.

oooooooooooo

2049 ZULU

"Staff Sergeant Moody works under my command," says Sergeant Major Jerry Perpich, standing behidn his desk in his office in the Headquarters and Service Battalion offices.

"What is your opinion of Staff Sergeant Moody?" asks Bud, who met Sergeant Major Perpich earlier today, when he and Lieutenant Vukovic were assigned temporary quarters.

"He completes his assignments, sir," replies the sergeant major. "He works well with others."

"It's not very flattering, Sergeant Major."

"I don't think that Staff Sergeant Moody is seeking an active duty career," says Perpich. "He's planning to get his discharge when his enlistment expires. I think that's in a year or so."

oooooooooo

2207 ZULU

Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Moody steps on the brakes on his Nissan Sentra. Looking ahead, he can see police cars parked around his house.

Moody parks the Sentra, stepping out.

"Excuse me," says one of the MP's.

"This is my quarters," says the staff sergeant.

"We're conducting an authorized search, Staff Sergeant."

Staff Sergeant Moody waits. His heart starts to beat rapidly, and his palms sweat. An auburn-haired woman steps out; Moody sees the silver oak leaves on her collar. He quickly salutes.

"Staff Sergeant Moody," says Colonel Hartwell.

"And what are you looking for, ma'am?" he asks.

"Drugs," replies the colonel. "You may step back inside when we're done."

Moody watches as the MP's go through his small, one-bedroom house. After a few minutes, all of the Marine MP's leave.

"We're done here, Staff Sergeant," says Hartwell. "Pretty smart for you to flush the drugs down the toilet."

"I'll just go back inside my house, ma'am," replies Moody.

oooooooooo

2330 ZULU

Bud Roberts sits inside his temporary quarters, which is basically a one-bedroom apartment, the kind of quarters the Marines would provide to an O-5.

Sitting at a round wooden table, he reads through some of the files. Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez had been in Iraq last year, and was in the Battle of Fallujah. He was awarded a Silver Star and went to MP School and was first assigned to Parris Island seven months ago.

Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Moody does not have as notable a record. He did a three month stint in Adghanistan before being transferred here.

Lieutenant Colonel Pamela Hartwell searched Staff Sergeant Moody's quarters; she and her MP's found nothing illegal.

Bud then walks to the small bedroom in the rear of the temporary quarters. He picks up the telephone and dials his home number.

"Hello," says Harriet.

"Harriet, it's me, Bud," says Bud. "How are you doing?"

"The kids and I are fine," replies Harriet. "I was just done feeding the twins, James is asleep, and I'm reading a book to AJ. Want to say hi to Daddy?"

"Hi, Daddy," says AJ Roberts.

"Hello, AJ," replies Bud. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, Daddy."

"Daddy is right here."

"Why do you have to be away?"

"You know that sometimes you have to do things, like clean your room, right?"

"Yeah."

"To earn money to buy you food and clothes, I am in the Navy," Bud explains to his son. "I agreed to serve the Navy. They gave me an assignment here on Parris Island. I'm not leaving you; I'll talk to you and James and the twins and Mommy every day."

"That's good."

"How's the case going, Bud?" asks Harriet.

"I expect to make my recommendation tomorrow," says Bud.

"I have to go get the dress altered tomorrow, so I have to hire the nanny again. What about your dress whites?"

"I'll have to get them dry cleaned."

"I'll talk to you later, Bud," says Harriet.

"Goodbye," says Bud, hanging up the phone and cutting himself off from his wife's voice for the time being.

He leaves his quarters; he might as well get something to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

DAY 2 

1415 ZULU

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

Gunnery Sergeant Michael Haley leads recruits on a march, yelling out which step to take. This is part of the program; recruits march frequently.

The drill instructor's shouts can be heard by Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts and Lieutenant Gregory Vukovic, even though they are sitting at least twenty yards away from where Haley is marching the recruits under his charge.

"I'd have to recommend that Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez be court-martialed for manslaughter," says Bud, sitting on an outdoor patio sipping a cup of coffee from a paper cup.

"I would have to disagree, sir," replies Lieutenant Vukovic. "From what I've been able to gather, it was a tragic accident."

"He led MP's into the wrong house," says Bud. "He yelled that there was a gun, and that was why they fired on him."

Greg nods. From his own interviews with the MP's whom Vasquez led on that raid, they too said that Vasquez yelled that there was a gun. "Vasquez has an excellent service record. He was in the infantry, wento to Iraq, was awarded a Silver Star for his actions in Fallujah."

"For which he should even be more accountable for his negligence," says the commander. "In most places, if four civilians were to break into a house looking for drugs and end up killing someone living there, they would be on trial for premeditated murder, let alone manslaughter. We can't excuse the actions of Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez."

"I will have to disagree with you, sir," says Vukovic. "That will be on my recommendation."

"I will make sure the convening authority gets your opinion as mine, Lieutenant," says Bud.

He wonders ho0w long the court-martial proceedings will take. Mike's graduation is coming soon.

oooooooooooo

2015 ZULU

Gunnery Sergeanty George Vasquez reads some reports at his desk. He had been assigned to a desk job after he and his men killed Sergeant Major Terry Stevens.

"Gunny!"

The gunnery sergeant looks up to see his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Pamela Hartwell, along with the senior enlistee in his unit, First Sergeant Kenneth Church.

"Colonel," he says, standing at attention. "First Sergeant."

"Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez," says Colonel Hartwell, "a general court-martial has been convened to try you for the manslaughter of Sergeant Major Terry Stevens. You must be photographed and fingerprinted."

"Will I be held in the brig, ma'am?" asks Vasquez.

"You're not a flight risk, Gunny."

oooooooooooo

2032 ZULU

"The commandant of the Marine Corps has convened a general court-martial to try Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez," says Major General Gordon M. Cresswell, his voice heard over a speaker. "Roberts, you will prosecute. Vukovic, you will defend."

"Aye aye, sir," says Bud as he and Lieutenant Vukovic listen to the general over the phone at Bud's temporary quarters.

"I'd better go visit my client," says Vukovic.

oooooooooo

DAY 3

2520 ZULU

HANK'S BAR

BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA

The crack of a billard ball is heard around the room. Over a dozen people are inside, sitting at the bar or at the wooden tables. Most of them are nursing beers or liquor. "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC plays on the TouchTunes Internet jukebox.

A man in a checkered shirt walks inside the bar.

"Joe," says Pamela Hartwell, dressed in a blouse and skirt instead of her Marine uniform.

"Babe," replies Joe McKinney, putting his arms around Pamela's waist. "How about we go get us a drink."

And so they get a pitcher of Budweiser beer. They start talking.

"You know that one of my men led a raid, killing Parris Island's top drill instructor," says Pamela.

"I heard of that," replies Joe. "It's big news around here."

"Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez is being court-martialed. Not only that, when we searched the right place, the drugs weren't there. Are you sure that Staff Sergeant Moody was the right guy?"

"They said they were getting drugs from a Marine cvalling himself Nat. We got his picture."

"Why couldn't you have arrested him when you caught him with those two?" asks Pamela, sipping the cold beer.

"Lack of probable cause. It wasn't a crime for Staff Sergeant Moody to talk to two other men in a seedy bar. We got his picture and forwarded it to you."

"So we could search his quarters and find if he was stashing the drugs there," says Pamela. "Except we got the wrong house, and ended up killing a sergeant major. And when we searched Moody's quarters, we found nothing."

"Maybe he flushed them down the toilet. Hearing about that botched raid would have spooked him."

"Or maybe he wasn't even the right guy to begin with. All you heard were some tips from lowlifes."

"Which is why we go to judges to get warrants so we can get evidence prosecutors and juries can trust," says McKinney. "In the meantime, see if you can tap his phones."

ooooooooooooo

1516 ZULU

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND

Lieutenant Vukovic enters the quarters of Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez. He had been here once before, when he spoke at length with the gunnery sergeant after learning that there will be a court-martial. The living room looks just like he remembers, with couches and a coffee table and a wide-screen Toshiba color television.

Two people are in there- Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez and a man in a business suit.

"Hello there, sir," the lieutenant says to Vasquez's guest. "Lieutenant Vukovic from Navy JAG."

"Randy Holtz," says the man in the suit. "Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez has decided to hire me as an attorney. I'm replacing you, Lieutenant."

"When did you decide?" asks Vukovic.

"He called me, sir," says Vasquez. "He heard about my case, agreed to represent me for free."

"I offer my services pro bono once a year to a serviceman being court-martialed," says Holtz.

"Are you familiar with the procedures for courts-martial?"

"If I'm not, the Army made a big mistake making me judge advocate for their forces in Europe."

"Do you really want to fire me, Gunny?" Vukovic asks Vasquez.

"Mr. Holtz is a good lawyer," replies the gunnery sergeant.

"Excuse me, Mr. Holtz," says Lieutenant Vukovic, "do you have a business card?"

"Here," says the lawyer, taking a business card from his coat pocket and handing it to the Navy lieutenant.

"I'll have to speak with my superiors, Gunny," says Vukovic. "I'll be happy to hand your new lawyer my notes about this case."

oooooooooo

1528 ZULU

"So Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez decided to get another lawyer?" asks Captain Sturgis Turner, speaking into the telephone from his office at JAG Headquarters.

"Yes, sir," replies Lieutenant Vukovic, sitting in his quarters, which is identical to a motel room one would find near an interstate. "He hired some guy named Randy Holtz. He's a lawyer from Charleston. He said he was an Army judge advocate stationed in Europe. Captain, I would like to request a background check on Randy Holtz."

"As if I didn't have enough papers on my desk," replies the captain. "Give me his license number, Lieutenant."

oooooooooo

1642 ZULU

Lieutenant Vukovic meets with Commander Roberts just outside the commander's temporary quarters, a slight breeze blowing in from nearby Port Royal Sound.

"Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez has decided to replace me," says Vukovic.

"With whom?" asks Bud. "Is he representing himself?"

"No, sir. A lawyer named Randy Holtz. Drafted in 1966, sent to Vietnam, wounded in combat. Went to law school and became a judge advocate. Last assignment was staff judge advocate for the Army's European operations before retiring as a colonel in 1998. He now has a private practice in Charleston."

"He told you this?"

"Captain Turner did a background check at my request. I guess this means that I'm going back to Falls Church as soon as the captain makes the arrangement."

"I guess I'll be dealing with Colonel Holtz then," says Bud.

"I'll be packing my bags, sir, if you need me." Vukovic delivers a salute, and the commander salutes back.

oooooooooo

1938 ZULU

The conference room is bare, with only a wooden table and foldaway chairs for furniture. The sounds of recruits marching and drilling can be heard.

"Let's get this over with," says Bud, sitting at the table. "Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez has a pretty good service record."

"He earned a Silver Star for his actions in Fallujah," says Randy Holtz. "He saved Marines' lives."

"And he took a Marine's life," retorts Bud. "A Marine who was awarded the Navy Cross, who was wounded in combat, and who took an assignment as the top drill instructor to teach recruits how to stay alive. But enough about comparing combat records. Your client pleads guilty to mansalughter and gets two years in prison and a dishonorable discharge."

"Sir, my career will be over," protests Vasquez.

"Because of you, Gunny, a Marine's life is over."

Vasquez whispers with his lawyer.

"We're not interested in a deal, Lieutenant Commander," says Holtz. "We will go to trial and we will win."

oooooooo

2121 ZULU

Bud sits on the bed in his temporary quarters.

"It's me, Bud," he says, speaking on the telephone. "I'll probably be here for at least a week."

oooooooooo

DAY 4

1804 ZULU

The sunlight enters through the windows, illuminating the courtroom in Parris Island. Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts sits behind a wooden table. On an identical wooden table in the opposite side of the room sits Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez and his lawyer, Colonel Randy Holtz, United States Army (Retired).

The judge, a Marine Corps colonel dressed in Class B uniform, sits on the wooden bench, in front of the Marine Corps seal.

"Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez," says the judge, "you are charged with one count of Article 119, subsection a, voluntary manslaughter of Sergeant Major Terry Adams. How do you plead?"

"I plead not guilty, your Honor," says Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez.

"Jury selection begins 1000 tomorrow."

Bud leaves the courthouse, smelling the sea spray from the Atlantic Ocean. He looks north, towards the direction of West Arlington, Virginia. Years ago, Harriet could have visited him on short notice, but with four children to watch, including two infant twins less than a year old, she is stuck there while he is stuck here.

oooooooooo

DAY 9

1352 ZULU

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

"Ladies and gentlemen," says Bud, looking at the panel of nine Marines, all clad in Class B's, both active duty and reserve, "Sergeant Major Terry Stevens was killed when a squad of four MP's burst into his house looking for drugs. I intend to show you that the tragic death of Sergeant Major Stevens was caused by the negligent actions of the squad leader, Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez. Witnesses will testify that the MP's under Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez's command broke into the house like commandos, their guns drawn, and then shooting Sergeant Major Stevens when Vasquez shouted that there was a gun. I will show you that Sergeant Major Stevens's house was NOT the intended target of the search, that Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez got the wrong house. When you hear the evidence, you will have to find him guilty of manslaughter."

Bud sits down, and Randy Holtz stands up, addressing the jury.

"What happened to Sergeant Major Terry Stevens was unfortunately tragic," says Holtz. "No doubt you will hear of his honorable service record. But there is a deeper tragedy. I intend to show you that Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences in Iraq. I will show you that the military did not provide appropriate counseling for Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez. I will show you that the disorder led him to believe that he and his men were in danger when he shot Sergeant Major Stevens. You will find this fine young man not guilty."

Bud had expected such an opening argument. He had known that Randy Holtz would use post traumatic stress disorder as a defense.

oooooooooo

1806 ZULU

"State your name for the record," says Bud.

"Corporal Edward Vaukel," says the Marine corporal sitting in the witness box, dressed in Class B's.

"How long have you served in the United States Marine Corps?"

"Two years, sir. I went through boot camp here on Parris Island, went to Camp Geiger for combat training, then I went to MP school in Fort Leonard Wood - that's an Army base, by the way - after that I was assigned to the Parris Island MP's Charlie Company. It's pretty cool, sir, getting to watch the recruits, knowing what they're going through. I was made a corporal just two months ago. Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez worte a letter in favor of my promotion."

"Was Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez your supervisor?"

"Yes, sir."

"Corporal Vaukel, tell us what happened the night of May 7."

"Yes, sir. First Sergeant Church informed me that I would be on the graveyard shift. We were supposed to search the quarters of a Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Moody. The plan was to do a quick search while he was off base. The gunny got us some weapons from the armory and we busted inside."

"Did you use a battering ram, Corporal?"

"Yes, sir. We went in, searching around. I accompanied the gunny. We went into the bedroom. I heard this noise, and the gunny yelled that there was a gun. He opened fire, and then I opened fire too. The others then came in. The gunny called for an ambulance. I saw the guy and he was put into the ambulance."

"Did you know whom the gunny shot?" asks Bud.

"We found out that it was Sergeant Major Stevens," says Vaukel.

"No further questions."

"Corporal Vaukel, what is your opinion of Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez?" asks Holtz.

"He's a great leader," replies the corporal. "always looking out for us, willing to help, keeping us up in our training. He served in Iraq, you know. He used to be in the infantry."

"Did you work closely with him, Corporal?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

"Records showed that Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez was in combat in Fallujah. How do you think it affected him?"

"Objection," says Bud.

"Corporal Vaukel testified that he worked closely with Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez," says Holtz.

"Objection overruled, Commander," says the judge. "Answer the question, Corporal."

"Sometimes he would get testy and irritated," says Vaukel. "It wasn't a big deal; I never been to Iraq and I can't imagine what it would be like to go through that."

"Some of us could imagine," says Holtz.

"Objection," says Bud.

"Sustained," says the judge.

"Did he ever get jumpy?" asks Holtz.

"Objection," says Bud.

"Overruled," says the judge.

"Yes," replies the corporal. "He sometimes does that when we train at the pistol range."

"Did he ever pull a gun on someone who was unarmed?"

"Yes, sir. One time, we had a graveyard shift, and we went to the enlisted club here because of a fight. It was under control. That was when the gunny pulled a gun on one of the brawlers."

"What was the gunny's explanation, Corporal?"

"He said he saw a gun on the guy we were arresting," says Corporal Vaukel. "We found no gun. We kept it quiet from the officers. He's a great leader and we didn't want him chewed out for pulling a pistol and aiming it at a man's head. He was scared, man. Scareds about what he could have done."

"No further questions, your Honor."

Bud looks at the jury. He wonders what they think of the gunnery sergeant.

Is the gunny trigger-happy and reckless?

Or is he suffering from deep mental wounds sustained in combat?


	4. Chapter 4

DAY 9 

1838 ZULU

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

"Massive blood loss due to a wound to his aorta," says the Navy pathologist, a lieutenant commander in a Navy summer uniform. "Sergeant Major Stevens bled to death."

"And the cause of the wound, as far as you could tell?" asks Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts.

"The wound is consistent with nine millimeter rounds used by the Marines in their Beretta M93 pistols."

"No further questions, your Honor."

"I have no disagreement with the witness's testimony," says Randy Holtz. "No questions."

"Witness may step down," says the judge.

oooooooooooo

1922 ZULU

"Lieutenant Colonel Pamela Hartwell. I'm the Provost Marshal here at Parris Island. The MP detachment here is under my command, on loan to the judge, of course."

"And how long have you been an MP, ma'am?" asks Bud.

"Ever since graduation from MP school in '86," replies Colonel Hartwell. "I momentarily went to OCS to become a commissioned officer. I had assignments in Kuwait and Haiti and Afghanistan. I made lieutenant colonel back in '03 and was assigned as provost marshal at Parris Island."

"Explain the events leading to the death of Sergeant Major Terry Stevens."

"I have a contact named Joseph McKinney in the Beaufort Police. He worked narcotics. We've worked on and off together. He informed me that some drug dealers were getting drugs from a Marine stationed on Parris Island. I made sure to check the comings and goings of everyone on base."

"And you shared this information with your MP's?"

"Only Major Henderson and First Sergeant Church knew about the investigation here. Joe later faxed me an image of the suspect. We found out he was Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Moody, assigned to the Headquarters and Service Battalion."

"Did you arrest Staff Sergeant Moody?"

"No, Commander. I made a decision to arrest him if we found drugs in his quarters. We knew that he lived on base. That evening, he had the evening shift, so he was home during the day, My guess was he was probably catching up on his sleep. I ordered the search when the officer for that shift informed me that Staff Sergeant Moody reported for duty- none of the gate sentries reported the staff sergeant leaving. Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez and his team was to conduct the search. A few minutes later, the ambulance came and took Sergeant Major Stevens to the hospital. It was after checking the bungalow number that we found that Vasquez and his team raided the wrong place."

"Was there any further search?" asks Bud.

"Yes," replies the colonel. "We found no drugs. We found a weapon - a Beretta M92. It was inside the drawer next to his bed."

"So Sergeant Major Stevens wasn't holding the weapon."

"No, not unless Vasquez or someone on his team put it in there, which would be grounds for at least an Article 15."

"No further questions," says Bud.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hartwell, what was your opinion of Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez before the death of Sergeant Major Stevens?" asks Holtz.

"He was an excellent MP," says Hartwell. "Dedicated to his work."

"Did he ever seek counseling for post traumatic stress disorder?"

"Not for that," repleis the colonel.

"Did he ever complain of stress?"

"He did, once, about four months ago. He said he was stressed out. I approved him for a vacation."

"Did he mention that it might have been related to his combat experiences?"

"He said he thought it was because of Fallujah. I told him to get rest. When he came back, he seemed fine to me."

"In other words, Colonel, you did not order him to counseling, to get some therapy."

"Mr. Holtz, he said he was fine and he looked that way when he got back from his two-week vacation," says Colonel Hartwell.

"But you're an MP, not a therapist."

"Objection," says Bud.

"Withdrawn, your Honor," says Randy Holtz. "I have no more questions for this witness."

"Redirect, your Honor," says Bud. "Colonel Hartwell, Corporal Vaukel had testified that Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez had pulled a gun on an assault suspect at the enlisted club."

"Objection!" snaps Holtz.

"Overruled," says the judge. "Corporal Vaukel testified earlier today, counselor."

"Is it standard procedure, ma'am, to pull guns at unarmed suspects?"

"No, Commander."

"And did Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez report this detail?" asks Bud.

"No, Commander," replies Hartwell.

"No further questions."

"Witness may step down," says the judge.

"The government rests, your Honor," says Bud.

"Defense may begin its case tomorrow morning," says the judge.

"We will be ready, Colonel," says Randy Holtz.

ooooooooooo

2240 ZULU

"So you rested your case the first day?" asks Harriet, speaking on the phone with her husband.

"Not much to it, really," replies Bud. "Enough to convict him."

"So when are you coming back. You know your brother's graduation is coming up."

"That depends on how fast Mr. Holtz goes through his case."

"Okay, Bud. Anyway, I have James right here. You want to speak to Daddy, don't you?"

ooooooooooo

DAY 10

1504 ZULU

"Please summarize your credentials to this court," says Randy Holtz.

"I got my MD at Harvard Medical School," says Dr. Fred Voorhees, clad in a tweed jacket over a white shirt. "My internship and residency was at the VA Hospital as a psychiatrist, and I am a lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina Air National Guard. I actually served a tour of duty in Iraq."

"Dr. Voorhees, tell us your knowledge of post traumatic stress disorder."

"Certainly," says Dr. Voorhees. "It is stress due to some traumatic event, such as intense combat, seeing someone die next to you, or rape. It was first reported in Egypt around 1900 B.C. by an Egyptian doctor, describing a hysterical reaction to trauma. Symptoms include restlessness, insomnia, aggressiveness, depression, emotional detachment, and nightmares."

"Yes, that's right."

Holtz paces around the back of the courtroom. "What can trigger these symptoms, Doctor?"

"Sitations of extreme stress. Dim areas. Certain noises, such as fireworks or an engine blowout. The sight of toy weapons, or someone looking like the enemy."

"And so people having a panic attack might see a gun where there is none?"

"Correct," says the psychiatrist.

"And he might be more likely to perceive a danger if he goes in with guns drawn, prepared for danger, especially if it's dimly lit?"

"Yes."

"No further questions."

"Dr. Voorhees," says Bud, "people with post traumatic stress disorder, they can lead productive lives, correct?"

"Yes," replies the doctor. "Contrary to popular belief, most veterans do live productive lives, even if they suffer from post trauamatic stress disorder. My patients function in society, living as best as anyone could."

"And your patients haven't killed anyone outside of combat, correct?"

"That is correct, Commander."

"And certainly they don't break into people's homes searching for drugs and shooting them in their bedrooms."

"Objection," says Randy Holtz.

"Sustained," says the judge.

"No more questions."

"An MP would have a much more significant chance of a violent confrontation, correct?" asks Holtz.

"Yes," replies Dr. Voorhees.

"None of your patients are MP's, right?"

"Yes."

"And searching homes for drugs is not part of their job."

"Correct."

"No more questions."

ooooooooo

DAY 11

1522 ZULU

"Mr. Grayson," says Randy Holtz, "you served with Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," replies Peter Grayson, sitting in his wheelchair. "He was Staff Sergeant Vasquez at the time. I was just a lance corporal. I was wounded in Fallujah. Got me a Purple Heart along with a wheelchair. He made sure to visit me at the hospital, and at Bethesda when I was undergoing physical therapy. He made sure to support me. I'm young; there's plenty of time for doctors to figure out how to fix my spine. He would e-mail me. He told me he was gonna be an MP and he went to MP school and then here."

"And what is your opinion of the gunny?"

"The gunny- I guess that's what he is now- he's a great guy, dedicated to his team. He would never leave any of us behind in combat. I heard that in Fallujah, he pulled me to safety after I was wounded. I didn't see most of the fighting, as I was knocked out most of the time. He's someone I'd have a drink with, you know."

"When he visited you in Bethesda, did he ever talk about how he felt?"

"Yeah, man. He told me he would often have nighmares and flashbacks. He experienced the worst of it. I guess I'm lucky I only got paralyzed. They'll fix that eventually; fixing those nightmares and flashbacks won't be as easy."

"No further questions."

"When was the last time you spoke to George Vasquez about his experiences in Fallujah?" asks Bud.

"When he was visiting me in Bethesda back in 2004," says Grayson.

"And you haven't spoken to or wrote to him about it since then?"

"I wanted to avoid the subject," says Grayson. "got to look to the future."

"So you can't tell us what his mental state was last week."

"Objection," says Randy Holtz.

"Your Honor, Mr. Holtz called Mr. Grayson to the stands to testify about the defendant's mental state," says Bud.

"Overruled," says the judge.

"I guess I can't tell how he's feeling now unless I talk to him," says Peter Grayson.

"No further questions," says Bud.

oooooooooooo

DAY 12

1814 ZULU

"The defense calls George Vasquez to the stand," says Randy Holtz.

Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez sits in the witness seat.

"You realize, Gunny, that you waive your privilege against self-incrimination, and that refusal to answer a question can be construed as evidence of guilt?" asks the judge.

"Yes, sir," replies the gunnery sergeant. He is sworn in.

"State your rank and post for the record," says Holtz.

"I'm a gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and assigned to the Charlie Company of the Provost Marshal's office in the Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot," Vasquez says proudly.

"How long have you been in the Marine Corps, Gunny?"

"Fourteen years, sir."

"What was your MOS you chose after boot camp?"

"Infantry, sir. I went to the infantry training batallion in Camp Pendleton and then I was transferred to the East Coast."

"Were you ever deployed to Iraq?"

"Yes, sir, in November of 2003."

"what was it like there, Gunny?"

"Most of the time it was quiet. We were on base, spending the time drilling. Sometimes we'd do patrols into the countryside."

"Were you in combat, Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez?"

"Yes, sir. I was in a battle in Fallujah in '04."

"Describe how you felt at the time, Gunny."

"It was scary," says Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez. "There were all these explosions, gunfire. It was like going in slow motion. The ...the hardest part was seeing someone right beside me get shot in the head. His head just blew apart in the back. I can still see that image sometimes."

"How did that affect you after the battle was over?"

"I was having nightmares like, four times a week or so. Sometimes I would have flashbacks, like when I'm on the firing range, ort I see pictures of combat. I often felt scared."

"Did you receive counseling, Gunny?"

"We all saw therapists immediately after the battle. After being home for a while, I thought I was over it. I decided for a career change, went to MP school to become an MP. I started to feel stress during my posting here. After an incident, where I pulled a pistol on some drunk guy who got in a fight after seeing a gun that wasn't there, I told Colonel Hartwell about my feelings."

"She did not have you see a psychiatrist or a therapist?"

"No, sir. She recommended a vacation."

"So you didn't get the proper treatment, did you Gunny?"

"No, sir, I guess not."

"How did you feel when you were conducting that raid of Sergeant Major Stevens's quarters?"

"I felt this initial rush. When I went into the bedroom, I saw this dark shape move. I had this flashback, and there was like, an image of a gun. I opened fire. When I came to, the sergeant major was bleeding. I called for an ambulance. I..I didn't mean to kill him."

"No further questions."

"During the battle in Fallujah, you had the foresight to pull a wounded Marine away, is that right, Gunny?" asks Bud.

"It happened automatically, sir," repleis Gunnerty Sergeant Vasquez.

"You did not seek psychaitric treatment when you were going to MP school, is that correct?"

"I thought I could handle it. I didn't know how big of a problem until I pulled a pistol on that drunk. When I asked for help, the colonel didn't give it to me!"

"When you got back from your vacation, Gunny, what did you tell her how you felt?"

"I..I don't remember."

"Well, according to Colonel Hartwell's testimony, you said you felt fine. Is she lying, Gunnery Sergeant?"

Vasquez looks at the jury and then at the prosecutor. "No, sir."

"And finally, who made the decision to use the battering ram to break down the door to Sergeant Major Stevens's quarters?"

"I did, sir."

"So in other words, YOU started going in with force, as if you were going into combat."

"Yes, sir."

"No further questions."

"The defense rests," says Randy Holtz.

ooooooooooooo

DAY 15

1442 ZULU

"Many of you have served in combat," says Randy Holtz, facing the jury of nine Marines. "Just like Sergeant Major Terry Stevens, and just like Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez. Those of you who served in combat know the psychological aftermath of combat. Maybe some of you still experience flashbacks, or see something that reminds you of your combat experiences and get this chill. Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. His cries for help went unanswered. His untreated stress resulted in the death of a decorated war veteran, who could have related to him and to you. We failed him just as we have failed other soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who suffer this mental anguish. This was our failure. How many more tragedies must develop by us ignoring the mental anguish that those who dedicated their lives for us and our children? Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez's untreated condition deprived him of the ability to act with due care. You must find him not guilty of manslaughter."

Holtz sits down, and Bud gets up to deliver the rebuttal to Holtz's closing argument.

"You're Marines," says Bud. "Many of you know what combat is like. You also know that being a Marine means you are held to a higher standard, that you must be responsible for your actions. If we accept excuses, then the discipline which is essential to the function of the Marine Corps, to win battles and to survive combat, becomes the first casualty. If we accept excuses, the Marines will become a wild mob. Those of you who served in combat know how important discipline is. that is why you must find Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez guilty of manslaughter."

ooooooooooo

DAY 18

1320 ZULU

Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts stands in the courtroom as the verdict is about to be read. The jury deliberated for many days, and he had been informed that they reached a verdict yesterday. Once again, he went over to Parris Island. It was refreshing getting to spend time with Harriet and the kids, and work in his office at JAG Headquarters.

Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez sits at the defense table with Randy Holtz. They both feel a nervous anticipation.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" asks the judge.

"Yes, your Honor," replies the senior member of the panel, a colonel. "We find the defendant, Gunnery Sergeant George Vasquez, United States Marine Corps, guilty of one violation of Article 134, negligent homicide prejudicial to discipline and good order."

Vasquez bows his head and says nothing.

"Sentencing is Monday," says the judge. "Defendant is remanded to the custody of the Parris Island brig."

He bangs the gavel.

Bud looks a t the jury. They obviously wrestled with Holtz's defense. Perhaps some of them sympathized with Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez. In any event, they chose to convict on negligent homicide instead of the more serious charge of voluntary manslaughter

"You did well, Commander," says Randy Holtz.

"Thank you, sir," says Bud. "You weren't so bad yourself. You did get your client to avoid the more serious charge."

"If you decide to leave the Navy JAG, I'm sure I can find a position for you within my law firm. I'd better start working on an appeal. Farewell, Commander Roberts."

"Commander."

Bud turns, seeing Lieutenant Colonel Pamela Hartwell. "Ma'am," he says to her. "How may I help you?"

"I failed him," says the colonel. "I failed Gunnery Sergeant Vasquez. Therefore, I shall be submitting for my retirement."

"You're retiring, ma'am?"

"There is a saying. To whom much is given, much more will be demanded. I was given the privilege of wearing these silver oak

leaves. I failed to live up to the demands."

Colonel Hartwell turns around and leaves.


	5. Chapter 5

DAY 19 

1416 ZULU

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Today is the commencement ceremony for the graduates of the United States Naval Academy. the class of 2006, which have gathered here this day, arrive to celebrate their graduation and their commissioning. Four years, many of them think. Beginning with the stress of plebe summer, getting used to the routines at the Yard, going to classes, studying, taking exams, summer training sessions, earning more privileges and taking on more responsibility as they advance in class. And now it boils down to this ceremony, where they finally become commissioned officers.

A bald bespectacled man approaches the speaker's podium.

"Thank you," says Vice President Dick Cheney. "Thank you very much. Secretary Winter, Admiral Mullen, Admiral Rempt, General Magnus, Dean Miller, Captain Grooms, Mayor Moyer, Academy staff and faculty -- distinguished guests, officers, midshipmen, alumni, and graduates:

"Thank you for the warm welcome today, and for the privilege of standing before the newest officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. I'm looking at a group of men and women who have brought academic and athletic distinction to the Naval Academy; and who, in just a few moments, will accept commissions to God and country. I commend each one of you for this achievement, and for the years of hard effort that brought you to this day. And I am honored to extend the personal congratulations of your Commander-in-Chief, President George W. Bush.

"It is always an honor to visit this Academy, which has prepared so many splendid officers down through the generations. Of the six current members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, four, including the Chairman, are graduates of this Academy. The nation is exceedingly well served by the Naval Academy alumni, and we are grateful for the superior standards that are upheld on this campus each and every day.

"Those of you graduating today will carry your own special memories of the place, and of the formative events during your time as midshipmen. I should point out that in these four years you've worked very diligently. You've been good citizens. You've helped out in disaster areas; volunteered for charities; and served as mentors to young people. You've shown extraordinary generosity of spirit. And you beat Army four times in a row. (Applause.)

"As I learned about this class, I was naturally interested, as a resident of Wyoming, in how many graduates happen to come from my home state."

Someone in the audience cheers, followed by laughter. It is a festive occasion, after all.

"That's one of them," continues the Vice President. "Actually, I found out there are two in this class -- one from Gillette and one from Rock Springs. I would have expected more, considering Wyoming's maritime traditions and the breadth of our coastline. But I will remind Midshipmen McFarrin and Rawson of the motto I used to have when I was the lone congressman from Wyoming: It may be a small delegation, but it's all quality.

"As members of the brigade gather in tribute to the class of 2006, I want you to know about a small matter the President and I discussed before I came over to Annapolis today. We realize the academic year may be over, but there are still some midshipmen on restriction for minor conduct offenses. We talked about it. The President took the view that we should be lenient. Me, I could have gone either way. But he's the boss. So at his direction, and in accordance with tradition, I hereby absolve the midshipmen on restriction for minor conduct offenses.

"All of you today are feeling a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction -- and rightly so. Four years ago, you entered one of the most rigorous leadership programs in the world, and you have been found worthy. But your path to leadership began long before Induction Day. In your lifetime you have had the encouragement and support of the people who know you best, who care about you the most, and who keep you in their prayers. This is a great moment for them, as well. So let's give a round of applause to the parents and family of the class of 2006.

"In a world that depends on American sea power to swiftly deliver humanitarian aid and disaster relief, to secure the sea lanes, and to carry out combat operations, we'll be counting on all of you. And you are well prepared for the tasks ahead. We know where the aviators are headed -- you'll be on fixed wing or helicopter assignments. We know where the Marines will be -- in the air, on the ground, or in support of combat operations. And we know where the surface officers will be -- on an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, or perhaps serving as diplomats in places around the globe, such as Japan or Bahrain. Special forces: you'll be at the tip of the spear, worldwide. And submariners: we don't know where you'll be but we're glad you're there as part of our strategic forces.

"To any place that duty takes you -- whether on the bridge of a ship or at the controls of a jet or a submarine -- you will arrive with the knowledge and the tools to excel. At the Naval Academy you've been tested -- morally, mentally, and physically. You have shown yourselves to be men and women of agility, endurance, and, above all, honor. And each one of you is a superb addition to the quality force that America has continued to build over these past five years.

"You are the first class to enter the Academy following the attacks of 9/11. And I'm guessing that more than a few of you were inspired to military service by that attack on our country. In these four years, the war on terror has influenced the course of study at our service academies, and it will define much of your career leading American sailors and Marines.

"To prevail in this fight, we must understand the nature of the enemy that threatens America and the civilized world. It is as brutal and heartless as any we have ever faced. This enemy wears no uniform, has no regard for the rules of warfare, and is unconstrained by any standard of decency or morality. They plot and plan in secret, target the defenseless, and rejoice at the death of innocent, unsuspecting human beings.

"This enemy has a set of beliefs -- and we saw the expression of those beliefs in the rule of the Taliban. They seek to impose a dictatorship of fear, under which every man, woman, and child lives in total obedience to a narrow and hateful ideology. This ideology rejects tolerance, denies freedom of conscience, and demands that women be pushed to the margins of society. Such beliefs can be imposed only through force and intimidation, so those who refuse to bow to the tyrants will be brutalized or killed -- and no person or group is exempt.

"This enemy also has a clear set of objectives. The terrorists want to end all American and Western influence in the Middle East. Their goal in that region is to seize control of a country, so they have a base from which to launch attacks and wage war against governments that do not meet their demands. The terrorists believe that by controlling one country, they will be able to target and overthrow other governments in the region, ultimately to establish a totalitarian empire that encompasses a region from Spain, across North Africa, through the Middle East and South Asia, all the way to Indonesia. They have made clear, as well, their ultimate ambitions: to arm themselves with chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons; to destroy Israel; to intimidate all Western countries; and to cause mass death here in the United States. Some might look at these ambitions and wave them off as extreme and mad. Well, these ambitions are extreme and mad. They are also real, and we must not wave them off. We must take them seriously. We must oppose them. And we must defeat them.

"Over the last several decades, Americans have seen how the terrorists pursue their objectives. To put it in very basic terms, they would hit us, and we would not hit back hard enough. For many years prior to 9/11, we treated terror attacks against Americans as isolated incidents, and answered -- if at all -- on an ad hoc basis, and never in a systematic way. Even after a strike inside our own country -- the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center in New York -- there was a tendency to treat terrorist attacks as individual criminal acts, to be handled primarily as a matter for law enforcement. The man who perpetrated that first attack in New York was tracked down, arrested, convicted, and sent off to spend the rest of his life in prison. Yet behind that one man was a growing network with operatives inside and outside the United States, waging war against our country. For us, that war started on 9/11. For them, it started years before. After the World Trade Center attack in 1993 came the murders at the Saudi Arabian National Guard facility in 1995; the attack on Khobar Towers in 1996; the simultaneous bombings of our embassies Tanzania and Kenya in 1998; and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. With each attack, the terrorists grew more confident in believing they could strike America without paying a price and believing that if they killed enough Americans, they could change our policy. So they continued to wage those attacks -- making the world less safe and eventually striking us here in the homeland on September 11th and killing 3,000 of our fellow citizens.

"Against this kind of determined, organized, ruthless enemy, America required a new strategy -- not merely to prosecute a series of crimes, but to fight and win a global campaign against the terror network.

"First, we are absolutely determined to prevent attacks before they occur, and so we are on the offensive against the terror networks. At home and with coalition partners abroad, we have broken up terror cells, tracked down terrorist operatives, and put pressure on their ability to organize and plan attacks. The work is difficult and often perilous, and there is much yet to do. But we have made tremendous progress against this enemy that dwells in the shadows.

"Second, we are determined to deny safe haven to the terrorists. Since the day our country was attacked, we have applied the Bush Doctrine: Any person or government that supports, protects, or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and will be held to account.

"Third, we are working to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and to keep those weapons out of the hands of killers. In the post-9/11 world, we have had to confront such dangers before they materialize. The President put it very well: "Terrorists and terror states do not reveal these threats with fair notice, in formal declarations -- and responding to such enemies only after they have struck first is not self--defense, it's suicide."

"Fourth, we are determined to deny the terrorists control of any nation, which they would use as a home base and a staging ground for terrorist attacks on others. That is why we continue to fight Taliban remnants and al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan. That is why we are working with President Musharraf to oppose and isolate the terrorist element in Pakistan. And that is why we are fighting the remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime and the terrorists in Iraq.

"Because our coalition has stood by our commitment to the Afghan and Iraqi peoples, some 50 million men, women, and children who lived under dictators now live in freedom. Afghanistan is a rising democracy, with the first fully elected government in its 5,000-year history. Iraq has the most progressive constitution and the strongest democratic mandate in the Arab world. And despite threats from assassins and car-bombers, Iraqis came forward by the millions to cast their votes and to proclaim their rights as citizens of a free country. Now they live under an elected government committed to serving all Iraqis, determined to speed up the day when Iraqi forces can assume full responsibility for their nation's security. We will help them on this journey because we are a nation that keeps its word. And we know that when men and women are given the power to determine their own destiny, the ideologies of violence and resentment will lose their appeal, and nations will turn their energies to the pursuit of peace.

"By standing with our friends, and making a better day possible in the broader Middle East; by supporting democracy, we serve both ideals and the security of our nation. And the brave Americans on duty in this war can be proud of their service for the rest of their lives.

"In an enterprise as vast as the war on terror, victory requires that we use every element of our national power. The terrorists view the entire world as a battlefield. And those of us in positions of responsibility must do everything we can to figure out the intentions of an enemy that likely has combatants inside the United States today. We live in a free and open society, and the terrorists want to use those very advantages against us. And so we have an urgent duty to learn who they are, what they are doing, and to stop them before they act.

"For this reason, in the aftermath of 9/11 President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to intercept a certain category of terrorist-linked international communications. The purpose is very simple to state: If people inside the United States are communicating with al Qaeda, they are talking to the enemy -- and we need to know about it. (Applause.)

"The Terrorist Surveillance Program is highly classified and carefully limited. The program was improperly revealed to the news media, some of which now describe it as domestic surveillance. That is not the case. We are talking about international communications, one end of which we have reason to believe is related to al Qaeda or to terrorist networks. It's hard to think of any category of information that could be more important to the safety of the United States.

"The Terrorist Surveillance Program is fully consistent with the constitutional responsibilities and the legal authorities of the President. And the program is conducted in a manner that fully protects the civil liberties of the American people. The President has made clear -- (applause) -- the President has made clear from the outset, both publicly and privately, that our duty to uphold the law of the land admits no exceptions in wartime. As he has said, 'We are in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility is to live by them.'

"In addition, the entire program is reconsidered and reauthorized by the President himself every 45 days. He has reauthorized it more than 30 times since September 11th because our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related organizations. Key members of Congress, from both political parties, have received more than a dozen briefings on the Terrorist Surveillance Program. The reason I know this is that I'm the one who presided over most of those briefings.

"Above all, I can tell you that the Terrorist Surveillance Program is absolutely essential to the security of the United States. If you'll recall, the 9/11 Commission focused criticism on the nation's inability to uncover links between terrorists at home and terrorists overseas. The term that's used is "connecting the dots" -- and the fact is that one small piece of data might very well make it possible to save thousands of lives. And the very important question today is whether or not we've learned all the lessons of September 11th.

"In the decade prior to 9/11, this country spent more than $2 trillion dollars on national security. Yet we lost nearly 3,000 Americans at the hands of 19 men with box cutters and plane tickets. In the case of al Qaeda we are not dealing with large armies we can track, or uniforms we can see, or men with territory of their own to defend. Their preferred tactic, which they boldly proclaim, is to slip into this country, blend in among the innocent, kill without mercy and without restraint. They have intelligence and counterintelligence operations of their own. They take their orders from overseas. They are using the most sophisticated communications technology they can get their hands on. Since 9/11 they have successfully carried out attacks in Casablanca, Jakarta, Mombassa, Bali, Riyadh, Baghdad, Istanbul, Madrid, London, Sharm al-Sheikh and elsewhere. Here in the U.S., we have not had another 9/11. But while the enemies that struck us may be weakened and fractured, they are still lethal and still desperately trying to hit us again. They hate us, they hate our country, and they hate the liberties for which we stand. They have contempt for our values. They doubt our strength. And they believe that America will lose our nerve and let down our guard.

"We're all grateful that this nation has not had another day like September 11th. Obviously, no one can guarantee that we won't be hit again. But the relative safety of these years did not come about by accident. We've been protected by sensible policy decisions, by decisive action at home and abroad, and by round-the-clock efforts on the part of people in the armed services, law enforcement, intelligence, and homeland security.

"Every day the President of the United States makes decisions based on the intelligence briefing he received that morning. The information in that briefing is critical to assessing risks, and to allocating security assets inside the homeland and far beyond. Throughout our military, intelligence has a daily, indeed hourly, influence on the movement of ships and subs, fighter and bomber missions, and orders given to those commands at the tip of the spear. Gathering the best information, and getting it into the hands of the war fighter, means that your work is more effective, your maneuvers are more safe, and the nation you serve is more secure.

"As you ready yourselves for new responsibilities, I want each one of you to know that the President will not relent in the effort to track the enemies of the United States with every legitimate tool in his command. (Applause.) This is not a war we can win on the defensive. Our only option against these enemies is to monitor them, to find them, to fight them, and to destroy them. (Applause.)

"The class of 2006 has adopted the motto, Custodus Liberatus -- Custodians of Liberty. Ladies and gentlemen, I lack the words to fully express how much you mean to this nation -- not just on commissioning day, but every day that you give to America. We look at you and we see the best that is in our country. In your careers you will serve in a fleet like none other that has ever sailed before. You are part of a Navy and Marine Corps that uphold the noblest of traditions. You serve under a flag that stands for freedom, and human rights, and stability in a turbulent world.

"As of today, you, the Custodians of Liberty, will begin writing your own chapter of excellence and achievement for the United States Armed Forces. As military officers you will bring relief to the helpless, hope to the oppressed. You will protect the United States of America in a time of war, and you'll help to build the peace that freedom brings.

"Four years ago you arrived at Annapolis with a sense of all that you could become. You have grown in knowledge and in character. You have earned the rank and the respect that are yours today. You were selected with care, and you are sent forth with high expectations, the hopes, and the prayers of the greatest nation on Earth."

Applause erupts at the conclusion of Vice President Cheney's speech.

United States Navy Ensign Michael Roberts greets his family.

"Congratulations, Ensign," says Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts.

"Thank you, sir," the new ensign says to his brother. He salutes, and Bud salutes back.

"Ensign Roberts," says a man in a Navy summer uniform, the chevrons on his sleeve identifying him as a master chief petty officer, "I congratulate you and I wish you the best of luck, sir." He delivers the salute.

"Thank you, Master Chief," replies Mike, smiling as his father, Master Chief Petty Officer Bud Roberts, even as he returns the salute.

"I'm so proud, Mike," says Harriet, giving her brother-in-law a hug.

"Thanks," replies Mike. He looks at his nephews and nieces. AJ Roberts does a poor imitation of a salute.

"So you're an ensign now, Mike," another graudate says.

"I'm impressed with you too, Kevin," replies Mike.

"Second Lieutenant Kevin Dupree, United States Marine Corps," says Kevin.

Mike's father salutes the new Marine officer. "What are your plans, sir?"

"Master Chief, I will go to the Basic School in Quantico, then to the flight school in Pensacola."

"A flyboy," says Bud. "A Marine pilot."

"Yes, sir. I'll be flying Hornets, if everything goes okay."

"Who in this world knows what's next," says Mike.

Indeed, that is what many of the new officers here are thinking.


End file.
